Letter: Many ways to look at the impact of social contact

From Terry Cannon, Lewes, East Sussex, UK

In his look at the benefits of “social capital”, inspired by the pandemic lockdown, David Robson argues that “in recent decades, a raft of research has shown that individuals with richer social worlds tend to have better mental well-being and lower stress, and to perform better at work” (15 August, p 32).

Does this research demonstrate clearly that the direction of causation is from good “social worlds” to better mental health? Surely it is entirely plausible to argue for the reverse of this causation, or even a mutually reinforcing circularity.

I also think that the notion of social capital used in the article is idealised and desocialised. All social networks are embedded within systems of power, including class and gender, that are significant determinants of who can (or can’t) connect with who. Some networks are constructed by troubled people as survival mechanisms when options they would prefer are closed to them. These might assist with their mental health, but they aren’t their first choice.